Challengers of the Unknown #11
"Times Fade Away" in *Challengers of the Unknown* #11 (1997) brings a haunting blend of war, memory, and time-bending mystery, as Edward Sands reunites with his long-lost WWII comrade Paul Hemmings—now a man out of time after witnessing the Hiroshima blast. With Batman and Robin caught in surreal echoes of past conflicts, the Challengers must navigate fractured realities where veterans from different wars collide, all while Hemmings’ presence warps the very fabric of the present. Written by Steven Grant and illustrated with striking precision by John Paul Leon—whose dynamic interior art is matched by Shawn Martinbrough’s evocative cover inks—this issue stands as a standout in the series, blending psychological depth with the surreal.
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Edward Sands has gone to Gotham City where weird things are happening. There, Batman ambushes a sniper who thinks he's in Vietnam and carries an extinct Vietnamese plant, while Robin finds himself in the middle of a 1945 riot. Meanwhile, Sands has found his old WWII buddy, Paul Hemmings, who's been lost for decades. The two witnessed the Hiroshima explosion and a white light that forever changes people. Hemmings now moves through time, warping events around him. Though Batman urged the "amateur" Challengers to get lost, they all find themselves facing veterans who've taken Robin hostage.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).